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Interview question · Systems, OS & Memory Safety

Where do Windows credentials live (LSASS, SAM, DPAPI), how are they stolen, and what do LSA protection, Credential Guard and LAPS change?

Once an attacker is admin on one machine, the credentials cached there decide whether they stop at one machine or reach the domain. Every control in this answer is about that step.

hardNewPreparation tags: Microsoft, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto NetworksUpdated Nov 2026

Once an attacker is admin on one machine, the credentials cached there decide whether they stop at one machine or reach the domain. Every control in this answer is about that step.

Make your first attempt

What would you say before reading the answer?

  1. 01 State the assumptions your answer depends on.
  2. 02 Explain the mechanism and choose a control.
  3. 03 Name a condition that would change your decision.

The worked answer includes an approach, scoring criteria and follow-up questions. Compare the reasoning with your own.

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What if · the follow-ups in this answer

The answer works through 6 follow-ups like an interviewer would

A security team wants to protect Windows credentials across 20,000 endpoints after a lateral movement incident.

  1. Where does Windows keep credential material?
  2. What does Credential Guard do?
  3. What about LSA protection and Protected Users?
  4. How do you stop credentials landing on endpoints?
  5. How do you detect theft attempts?
  6. What programme would you deploy?

Each rung has a nudge, a model answer, the principle that carries over and the weak answer to avoid. Premium opens every answer and ladder.

UP NEXT ON YOUR JOURNEY
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